NBA scores 2015: Evan Turner saves the Celtics and 3 other things we learned

With a brutal schedule this month, Boston desperately needed a win and got one from Turner’s late game heroics.

by Tim Cato

Jan 23, 2015, 12:55 PM UTC

Steve Dykes-USA TODAY Sports

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NBA schedule and results: Bulls get back on track vs. Spurs

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January has been an nightmare month for the Boston Celtics, and while it's still not over, they got a slight reprieve on Thursday.

Facing Portland without LaMarcus Aldridge, who will miss six to eight weeks with a thumb injury, Boston trailed the Trail Blazers the entire fourth quarter but stuck around just long enough to get one last chance to win. Despite a trainwreck possession that saw Jared Sullinger sliding all over the floor diving for a ball he lost, Evan Turner ended up burying a game-winning 3-pointer for a 90-89 Celtics win.

It was Boston’s third win of the month in 11 tries, and eight of those have come against playoff teams. This trip to Portland was the Celtics’ second of a six-game West Coast road trip. They play in Denver on Friday, which is likely a schedule loss when you consider the altitude and lack of rest. They face Golden State and Utah -- another back-to-back -- before wrapping up the trip against Minnesota and coming home to close out the month against Houston.

With a 3-8 record and the schedule ahead of them in mind, this was a huge win for Boston. Portland had chances to put them away all throughout the fourth and they kept hanging around. The Celtics bungled the possession horribly and basically lucked into the Turner 3-pointer from the corner, but somehow it worked. They only had that chance to start with because of an offensive rebound after Jared Sullinger had missed a shot seconds earlier.

Boston’s a young team, of course, one completely gutted of veterans and totally focused on rebuilding for the future. Wins aren’t important at this stage of their development. But keeping the morale of a roster full of young players who are still maturing and used to winning is a tricky task in the NBA, and sprinkling in an emotional win when it seems an entire month is slanted against you can go a long way.

3 other things

Kawhi Leonard's back, but the Spurs aren't there yet. They showed that much in their 104-81 loss to Chicago on Thursday. The movement wasn't quite as crisp, the shot making wasn't quite as lethal and the Spurs just weren't quite the flying death machine we've come to expect from the reigning champions. But as Leonard reestablishes himself in the coming weeks, San Antonio will find their rhythm. It's just a matter of time before THIS is what the Spurs are doing for 48 straight minutes.

The Clippers annihilate Brooklyn, something they've been doing to a lot of teams of late. On SB Nation's most recent Drive & Kick Podcast, Paul Flannery talked about how hard it is to understand the Clippers. It's true -- some days they dominate quality opponents, and other nights they struggle with the most fundamental of basketball plays. It was the former on Thursday, leading by more than 40 against Brooklyn and turning the entire second half into garbage time -- so much so that TNT actually cut out of the game to show the final seconds of Boston's win.

Utah survives Milwaukee despite a terrible final two minutes. Gordon Hayward went to the line with 2:35 left in the game and made two free throws, giving him 24 points on the night and his team a nine-point lead. Utah wouldn't score again the rest of the game and somehow it was just enough to wrestle away a win in Milwaukee. The Bucks scored seven straight points to make it a 101-99 game but then missed five shots -- mostly good looks -- that could have tied the game or given them the lead.